mclaug-elin



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. F. MCLAUG'HLIN.

ELEOTRIG RAILWAY. No. 328,420. Patented Oct. 13, 1885.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. F. MQLAUGHLIN.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

N .420. Patented Oct. 13, 1

UNITED STATES PATIENT OFFICE.

JAMES F. MOLAUGHLIN, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, To THE NATIONAL ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM, (LIMITED,) OF SAMEPLACE.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 328,420, dated October13, 1885.

Application filed August 25, 1865. Serial No.175,259. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: mittently to the several motors aresoarranged Be it known that I, JAMEs F. MCLAUGHLIN, relatively to eachother that the current will a citizen of the United States, and aresident not at any specific moment be supplied to the of Philadelphia,Pennsylvania,have invented entire number of motors on the section. Incertain Improvements in Electrical Railways, other words, some of themotors will be out of which the following is a specification. of circuitwhile others are in circuit.

My invention consists of certain improve As a means of carrying thisinto practical ments in electrical railway systems, the main effect, oneor both of the contact-wheels O 0 object of my invention being toprovide for may be constructed so as to make an inter [O the running ofa larger number of cars on a rupted connection with the said conductorsA circuit with the motors in multiple are than is B by building thewheel up with alternating possible in the ordinary way. metallic andinsulating segments, asillustrated In the accompanying drawings, Figure1 is in Fig. 2, or by notching the wheel, as shown in a diagramillustrating my improvement. Fig. Fig. 3, so that as the car travels onthe track I 5 2 is an'enlarged view of a contact-wheel which and thewheelO, for instance, travels in conmay be used in carrying out myinvention. tact with the conductor A, the motor of the car 6 Fig. 3 is aView of a modified form of wheel. 'will receive an intermittent currentfrom the Fig. 4 is a view illustrating how the contactconductor A, andin practical operation the wheel may be applied. Fig. 5 is a diagramcontact-wheelO of the several cars will occupy 20 illustrating a furthermodification. Fig. 6 is different relative positions, so that while somea vertical section of a construction which may of them at any one momentwould be making be employed in carrying out my invention, contact withthe electrical conductor A,others and Fig. 7 is a perspective view ofpart of the would be out of contact therewith, and ala though the numberof motors out of circuit at 2'; Referring to the diagram, Fig. 1, A andB specific difi'erent times might vary to some exrepresent the mainconductors of the line, tent, yet for practicalpurposes that would not 75 which may be the ordinary track-rails or conseriously interfere withtheir operation. ductors laid alongside thereof or in a conduit Therapidity of the making and breaking between the track-rails, and G isthe stationof the current supplied to each motor will 0 ary generatorsupplying the current to run the prevent its intermittent character fromintermotors on the various cars, one of the confering with itsoperation. ductors A B forming the outward conductor, Other means may beprovided for interwhile the other is the return-conductor. mitting thecurrent supplied to each motor M M represent the motors in the variouswithout interfering with the current on the cars, seven beingillustrated in the diagram, main conductor. For instance, theinterruptand C 0 represent the contacts, which in this ing-Wheel D(illustrated in Fig. 4) may he 8 case are shown as being in the form ofwheels placed at any other point in each derived cirrunning inconnection with the conductors cuit instead of employing a segmentalcon- A B. tact-wheel, suitable brushes E E being pro- 40 The numberofcars which can be run in such vided, one to bear on the compound portiona system of multiple are is necessarily limited of the wheel and theother on the metallic 0 by practical considerations; but in order toring or hub 11. increase the limit without increasing the size Thiscircuit-breaker may be adapted to be of the conductors, I supply thecurrent from operated by a belt, f, from any moving por- 45 the mainconductor to each motor in its detion of the car or motor; or, ifdesired, may

rived circuit intermittently, but at such rapid be driven continuouslyfrom clock-work mech- 5 intervals as not to interfere with thepractianism g,or other motive power. In the latter cally continuousoperation of the motor, and case the circuit-breakers on the severalcars the devices whereby the current is fed intermay be timed to run inconcert or synchronously, so that a certain number of motors on thesection or circuit will always be out of circuit at any time that theothers are in ci'r cuit.

In practical operation, where one of the contact-wheels O is used tointerrupt the circuit it will be necessary to provide for thecontingency of the car stopping, so as to leave the wheel with theinsulated portion thereof in contact with the conductor, as illustratedin Fig. 5. In such case a supplementary con tact, 0, may be providedwith a conductor, 3, and switch or key 4, forming the branch circuitleading to the motor,which may be closed by the operator at any time tosupply the current to the motor, when desired.

In carrying my invention into practical effeet, I prefer to use theconstruction illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, in which F is a conduit,which is laid centrally between the or-- dinary cartracks, andcontaining on its oppositeside walls longitudinal insulating-bars T,carrying the conductors AB, in this case preferably of flat copperstrips.

I prefer to form the conduit F of two parts, with an overlapping joint,f, at the bottom, asillustrated in Fig. 6, and the conduit thus made isbolted to the transverse sleepers.

H is the under side of a car, and from this is suspended the compoundbar J, which carries at its lower end, within the conduit, thecontact-wheels O O,adapted to run in contact with the conductors A A.This bar J, as illus-- trated in Fig. 7, consists of two metallicplates, jj, with an intervening plate of insulating material, and theupper ends of the platesjj" are flanged and secured to spring-arms K,"which are bolted to the under side of the body of the car, withintervening rubber or other springs k, preferably both above and belowthe yielding arms K.

I prefer also to employ a third spring, L, connected at its upper end tothe under side of the car and at its lower end to the top of the bar J.These springs are employed toabsorb and lessen the shock imparted to thebar J, carrying the contact-wheels, from the motion of the car.

The arms m, which carry the contact-wheels, are electrically connectedto the plates j j by any suitable mechanical means; but I prefer, inorder to insure the wheels 0 0 being kept in contact with the conductorsA B, to interpose springs a, Fig. 6, which tend to push the wheelsoutward in contact with the conductors A B at all times. The platesjjmay be provided with binding-posts 10 p, to which are connected suitableconductors leading to the motor on the car.

In order to prevent the jumping of the car from raising the bar J andits contact-wheels G 0 so far upward as to carry them out of contactwith the conductors A B, I affi'x to the bar J brackets S, carryinganti-friction rollers 8, adapted to come into contact with the underside of the top plates of the conduit when the bar is raised to anyextent, and so keep the wheels 0 C in contact with the conductors A B.

I claim as myinvention- 1. The combination ofa generator,line-conductors, and cars having motors in derived circuits of anelectrical-railway system, with devices for intermitting the currentinthe derived circuits, substantially as set forth.

2. Thecombinationof a generator, line-conductors, and cars carryingelectric motors, with interrupting contact-wheels in connection withsaid conductors, substantially as de scribed.

3. The combination of a generator, line-conductors, and cars carryingelectric motors, with wheels to make connection with said conductors,one of said wheels being an inter-y electrical conductors with a carhaving a suspended bar carrying contacts for said conductors andbrackets provided with anti-fric' tion rollers, as and for thepurpose-set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name tothis specification in'thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES F. MOLAUGHLIN.

Witnesses;

FRANK M. MILLER, JOHN E. PARKER.

